以西结书 Ezekiel 1:1-28 ~ 2:1-10 (Please scroll down for English)
以色列在扫罗、大卫、所罗门治下，一度是强盛的联合王国。但好景不长，这个盛极一时的联合王国只延续了百余年，然后哥儿们各立门户。十个支派在北边，唤作“以色列”；两个支派在南边，大名“犹大”，彼此间，各吹各的号，各唱各的调。北国以色列，国祚210年，被亚述所灭；南国继续存在105年之后，在586 B.C.被巴比伦攻陷，人民被掳，唯余旧事如流水，神呼召先知以西结，就在这一历史时期。以西结，如同耶利米，他除了先知，还有祭司职份，但环境让他不能履行祭司职责，因为征服犹大的巴比伦人把他作为俘虏，带到了巴比伦去。少年但以理在605 B.C.被掳到巴比伦，第二次对犹大的攻击，发生在597 B.C.，以西结就是在这次攻击中被巴比伦掳去的。如此，以西结先知至少与另外两位同期：哭泣先知耶利米，在巴比伦因为解梦而大得尼布甲尼撒王青睐的但以理，还有先知哈巴谷大概也恭逢其盛，大概。
其时也，犹大乱世，却有先知辈出，神兴起他们宣讲悔改的讯息，但可惜众生硬着颈项铁了心，置先知的警告与呼吁于罔闻，与今日末世天下愚氓行径，可说是一般无二。
各位，你预备好在这末世蒙神呼召宣讲天国的讯息了吗？耶和华说： “万民都当兴起，上到约沙法谷。因为我必坐在那里，审判四围的列国。开镰吧。因为庄稼熟了。”（珥3:12-13）
主耶稣说：“要收的庄稼多，作工的人少。所以你们当求庄稼的主，打发工人出去收他的庄稼。”（路10:2）别当这是玩笑，“作先知讲道”是“更要羡慕”的属灵恩赐。（林前14:1）
据本书介绍，以西结是一位异象先知。第一章1节就以他见到的异象开始。
诗云“既见君子，云胡不喜”，先知以西结却是 “既见异象，云胡不诲”。
一章4-28节中，他对天庭的描述，比较以赛亚书六章似乎更为详尽，26-28节的记载，与使徒约翰在启示录第四章所见丝丝入扣。各位听说过没有，有高人言之凿凿，说启示录第四章，是约翰从以西结的记录中抄袭转述的云云，雅不知说者如何得此莫名其妙的逻辑怪论？
设若，我们教会的电脑英杰邵勇弟兄报说GCBC坐北朝南，前临马路后有水沟，停车场东西两侧，西侧有地，解决水源后可耕作瓜果菜蔬；然后另一为电脑专才Scott弟兄也有此说，一般无二，他两人就都是真相的目击证人。
同样，先知以西结与使徒约翰所见，是神永恒的荣耀，异象相同，他们也就是神的两位目击证人，连同先知以赛亚，则是“对影成三人”的荣耀见证，以传道、解惑、宣扬救恩，有何不可？经云，“要凭两三个人的口作见证，句句都可定准。”（太18:16 c.f. 申19:15）三位先知，不是一同见证天国荣美么？何必非无中生有地说成是“抄袭转述”而哗众？如斯高人，不敢恭维，不赘。时维末世，诸版乖谬学说嚣尘肆上荼毒人众，人要审判神，各位警醒。
见异象，不为显摆，而是为了神的荣耀。先知见异象，差遣随之来，（各位留意了）。
“他对我说，人子阿，我差你往悖逆的国民以色列人那里去。他们是悖逆我的，他们和他们的列祖违背我，直到今日。”（2:3）换了你和我，早知见异象伴随如此重托，会不会心生悔意，暗暗埋怨说：“神啊，何必偏偏选中我？”因为，神对先知们的差派，不是去升官发财，而是“有荆棘和蒺藜在你那里，你又住在蝎子中间” (6) 的去处。你道先知以西结不会记得，以色列人违背神的列祖，是如何对待住在蝎子中间的以利亚先知？
但他更记得，当先知以利亚软弱求死，天使给他水和饼，让他吃了之后能一口气奔跑到地处沙漠的何烈山。当先知以西结受差遣要去到极其悖逆的民当中，神给他的装备，是一卷其甜如蜜的书卷。这书卷里外“都写着字，其上所写的有哀号，叹息，悲痛的话。”怎么可能？如此一部书卷，怎能是既甜如蜜（参第三章），又满纸哀号，叹息，悲痛？
原来，神的话语甘之如饴，但对顽梗的民，却是医治痼疾的苦口良药。
保罗说：“因为我们在神面前，无论在得救的人身上，或灭亡的人身上，都有基督馨香之气。在这等人，就作了死的香气叫他死。在那等人，就作了活的香气叫他活。这事谁能当得起呢？”（林后2:15-16）神的先知、仆人当得起。他们不讨人的喜悦，不媚俗邀宠，不为财利，神的吩咐，照直宣讲，“向着标竿直跑，要得神在基督耶稣里从上面召我来得的奖赏。”（腓3:14）
今天，民心悖逆，不识真神。即如荆棘蒺藜蝎子，求神赐我们甘甜书卷，宣扬真道，因为“信道是从听道来的，听道是从基督的话来的。”（罗10:17）你、我，蒙恩都已被赐予先知和祭司的荣耀职份。（参林前14:1; 彼前2:9）珍重，枕戈，待旦。 — David Yip
Ezekiel 1-2
Israel, under the reign of kings Saul, David, and Solomon, was once a united kingdom strong and prosperous. Her good old days lasted for but a century or so, then came a division. Ten of the Israel twelve tribes formed the Northern Kingdom called Israel, and the other two the Sothern Kingdom known as Judah. Israel lasted 210 years and was eventually conquered by the Assyrians while Judah struggled to survive for another 105 years, ended up crushed by the Babylonians. Under the enemy’s captivity the people were exiled. It was in this historical moment God raised up Ezekiel the prophet. Also called to the ministry were prophets Jeremiah, Daniel, and very possibly Habakkuk. During the people’s going astray, God sent his prophets to call people for repentance, but with their harden hearts they refused to take heed. Is today’s situation similar with that of two and half millennium ago in Judah?
We as God’s people must be ready to be called to His Majesty’s Services. For thus saith the LORD, “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.” (Joel 3:13-14) Lord Jesus challenged his disciples: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Luke 10:2) Do not be mistaken that the calls are merely jokes, or we contest the call because we think we are not prophets. “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.” (1 Cor 14:1) What Paul urges is that we are to desire for the gift of prophecy if we truly love our Lord.
Ezekiel is characterized as a prophet of vision; the book starts with his vision to the heavenly realm. In 1:4-28, the information seems to be even finer than Isaiah 6. And the description in 26-28 closely resembles that of Revelation 4. They are so vividly written that some speculates that what John the apostle penned in Revelation 4 is plagiarized from Ezekiel. This assertion is nothing more than a pure nonsense.
If, say, member A of GCBC reports that the church building’s main door faces the south and there is a drainage ditch on the north side, the church’s parking lots are located on the east and west sides; member B also details the identical geographical information about the church building. The most possible conclusion is that they both are the witnesses of the factual truth instead of plagiarizing from one another. Likewise, Ezekiel and John both witnessed the same glory of the physical heaven, along with Isaiah, they are the trio witnesses testifying the heavenly marvel. “Every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (Matt 18:16 c.f. Deut 19:15) How, then, can the liberal theologians come up with such spiritually poisonous rubbish? Men have been in their attempt to trial God and we as His children must stay alert.
The purpose of having vision to heaven is not for showing off, rather, it is for the glory of God. with the vision there comes God’s assignment. (let us be ready) “And He said to me: ‘Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.’” (2:3) If we were to be assigned, complaint could rash out: “Oh God, why me?” For we understand that God is not sending us to be prosperous in worldly business, he sends us where “briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions.” (6) It is certain that the prophet is well familiar with the historical record in how the rebellious fathers of Israel treated Elijah. But, clearer in Ezekiel’s mind is that God takes care his own. When Elijah asked God to take his life, an angel provided to him bread and water for him, which energized him to run 40 days to Horeb. Now, when Ezekiel is sent, God gives him a scroll “tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” Also denotes is that “on both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.” (2:10) How can a scroll be as sweet as honey, but also with words of lament and mourning and woe?
To his people, the word of God is no question sweet as honey. To the rebellious nations, God’s truth is like the medication in the old time, it cures, but it is bitter. The apostle Paul concludes: “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.” Continued, he inquires, “And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor 2:16) Yes, God’s prophets and servants are sufficient for these things. They serve the only Master without trying to please the public, nor for money and their own stomachs; they preach according to the truth of God for the reward that they are called to receive.
Today we live in a sinful world, people’s hearts are harden and eyes are blind. God has given us the scroll with the sweet gospel and we pray that the Lord will send us. Our hope is not rest on the government nor the political parties nor the individuals/heroes. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Rom 10:17) So send us God. — David Yip
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